Lorber Goes for WWII Drama “KORKORO”

Lorber Goes for WWII Drama "KORKORO"

Lorber Films have acquired U.S. rights to Tony Gatlif’s WWII drama “KORKORO,” starring Marie Josée Croze (“Tell No One”) and Marc Lavoine (“The Good Thief”). Based on historical events, the film tracks a tribe of Gypsies rounded up by the Germans during the war in France. Lorber plans to theatrically premiere “KORKORO” on March 25 at the Cinema Village in New York, followed by a rollout to select cities nation wide.

“When I saw ‘KORKORO’ on the big screen in Montreal I deeply felt the pathos and power of it, and in recent months social issues in France have brought its story even further to the foreground of public consciousness,” said Richard Lorber, CEO of Kino Lorber. “The sweeping cinematic vision supported by Gatlif’s usual dazzling score blurs the lines between history, music and emotion. This is a must see for passionate cinema audiences.”

NEW YORK, NY, February 23, 2011 — Lorber Films announced today the acquisition of U.S. rights to Tony Gatlif’s (Exiles, Latcho Drom) epic drama KORKORO (Liberté), the story of a wandering tribe of Gypsies who were rounded up by the Germans in WWII France. Based on historical events, KORKORO features a genre-shattering original score by Delphine Mantoulet that pulsates with Gatlif’s signature musical verve, this time infusing the Gypsy sound with influences from period musicians such as Maurice Chevalier and Django Reinhardt. The film resonates with the current European political context in which numerous countries grapple with the integration – and in some cases deportation – of Gypsies amidst significant controversy. Gatlif’s latest work wields a significant cast of French talent including Marie Josée Croze (Tell No One, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Marc Lavoine (The Good Thief) and Rufus (Amelie). The deal was negotiated by Richard Lorber, CEO of Kino Lorber with TF1. KORKORO is currently slated for it’s U.S. theatrical premiere on March 25th at the Cinema Village in New York, followed by a release to select cities nation wide and a DVD and Digital release to follow in the third quarter of 2011.

Lorber states, “When I saw KORKORO on the big screen in Montreal I deeply felt the pathos and power of it, and in recent months social issues in France have brought its story even further to the foreground of public consciousness. The sweeping cinematic vision supported by Gatlif’s usual dazzling score blurs the lines between history, music and emotion. This is a must see for passionate cinema audiences.”

About KORKORO

A Gypsy tribe travels the French country roads during WWII. Upon reaching a town where they traditionally stop for a few months to work the vineyards, they learn that a new law forbids their nomadic existence. Moved by their situation, the town mayor and the schoolteacher help the family to find some land where they must settle – or face capture and internment by the Germans. But, shaped by hundreds of years of nomadic culture, the Gypsies’ deeply ingrained thirst for freedom makes this sedentary lifestyle difficult to bear. Gatlif’s depiction of the “gypsy soul” has never been more visceral than in this magnificent paean to the mad ecstasy of freedom.

KORKORO France, 111 minutes, 2009. In French and Rom with English subtitles. Produced and Directed by Tony Gatlif. Starring Marc Lavoine, Marie Josée Croze, James Thiérée and Rufus. A Princes Production.